USF students to crack code on cyber criminals through new criminology and AI degree

USF to offer new degree in cybersecurity

As more tech companies call the Tampa Bay area home and bring along a workforce pipeline, USF and Cyber Florida shared how future classes will help graduates be forces for good against cyber criminals. FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports. 

TAMPA, Fla. - As more tech companies call the Tampa Bay area home and bring along a workforce pipeline, USF and Cyber Florida shared how future classes will help graduates be forces for good against cyber criminals.

The backstory:

Educators at the University of South Florida are focused on training the next generation of crime fighters with a keyboard.

RELATED: New USF College of Cybersecurity and AI draws thousands of students

"For the past 10 years or so, there’s been a growing need for students to have a background in cybersecurity," said George Burruss, a professor of criminology and the criminology department chair at the University of South Florida.

The Tampa Bay area is cyber-centric, becoming home to more tech firms. Burruss said his department is getting ready to teach and train the next generation of students to meet that call. It’s part of three new interdisciplinary majors that will be offered at USF in fall 2026.

"We’ve seen the demand, so we know the students want these jobs that are paid very well. But, they do demand a pretty high degree of technical skill and training, so we want to make sure they get that," said Burruss.

READ: USF researchers develop AI robot tech that could save lives in emergencies

What we know:

USF will offer new degrees this fall: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Criminology, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Business, and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. One of the degrees combines computing and AI with criminology.

Students will learn how to track crimes that travel through cables, get evidence and testify about it in court. Burruss said students would then test it out in real world experience with internships through private firms and local law enforcement.

"Tampa Police Department, Pasco County, Hillsborough County, a lot of the surrounding counties, most of those law enforcement agencies now have cyber units," said Burruss. "So, they’ll deal with everything from ransomware attacks to card skimmers where people try to scam your credit cards."

Dig deeper:

Cyber Florida at USF is a leader in Florida on cybersecurity education and research. Senior director Ernie Ferraresso said swiping your card only to lose money isn’t the only risk with cybersecurity. Fake emails and text messages are out of control too.

MORE: USF approves tuition increase for out-of-state students

"Phishing scams are still big and a lot of that is being done by criminals using artificial intelligence to generate these very convincing fraudulent personas," said Ferraresso.

AI has made things more challenging. Cyber Florida said feeding graduates into the workforce who know how to outsmart criminals with it is crucial.

"Understanding how criminals think and operate, and then you look at it through how to leverage those skills in computer science, bringing them together, you’re going to be a very powerful force for good in the cybersecurity world," said Ferraresso.

Ferraresso said private businesses are also becoming more responsible for their own security, so they are hiring cybersecurity workers to keep them safe. Tampa is projected to add about 3,700 tech jobs by 2027.